This invention relates, in general, to an apparatus and a method of operating a two-way radio, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for operating a two-way radio on a default channel and allowing temporary operation on a different channel.
Conventional two-way radios or communication units have many channels of operation with some units having as many as 128 channels. A user of such a communication unit normally operates on a designated first channel to communicate with other users operating on the same channel. However, there may be times when the user wishes to communicate with units operating on a second channel different from the first channel. To do this, the user operates a channel selector on his unit to manually select the second channel for operation. Once communication on the second channel is completed, the user will have to remember to switch his unit back to operate on the designated first channel; otherwise the user will not be able to receive transmissions from other units operating on the designated first channel. It is a burden to the user to have to constantly remember to switch his unit back to the first channel.
There are more sophisticated communication units that can operate in a scan mode such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,799,241 and 5,940,746. In the scan mode, a unit cyclically monitors a group of channels for any transmission from other units. Once transmission is detected on an active channel, the unit locks onto the active channel to allow communication on the channel. Once communication on the active channel is completed, the unit will return to the scan mode. This scan mode therefore allows the communication unit to be triggered to operate on an active channel. If no channels are active, the user can only transmit on a default channel that is selected on the communication unit. If the user wishes to transmit on a second channel different from the default channel, the user would have to exit the scan mode and switch to this second channel for operation on the second channel. As in the less sophisticated unit without a scan mode, if the user upon completion of communication on the second channel forgets to switch the unit back to the default channel and to reactivate the scan mode, the unit would remain operational only on the second channel. This poses an even bigger problem to the user because the user would not just lose communication with units on the default channel but all units on the scanned channels other than those operating on the second channel.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method for operating a communication unit on a default channel selectable from a plurality of communication channels. Said method includes providing communication on said default channel. Said method further includes temporarily switching to a selected second channel for communication and monitoring communication activity on said selected second channel. Said method also includes reverting automatically to said default channel when communication activity is undetected for a predetermined time period.
Suitably, said communication unit may be operable in a scan mode wherein said method further includes deactivating said scan mode prior to temporarily switching to said selected second channel and re-activating said scan mode when reverting to said default channel.
Suitably, providing communication on said default channel may include selecting one of said plurality of communication channels while said communication unit is in a power off state and setting said selected channel as said default channel upon powering up of said communication unit.
Preferably, providing communication on said default channel should include selecting one of said plurality of communication channels and actuating an input means for setting said selected channel as said default channel.
Preferably, said method may further include providing a first visual indicator for indicating operation of said communication unit in said default channel.
Preferably, said method may further include providing a second visual indicator for indicating operation of said communication unit in said selected second channel.
Suitably, said first and second visual indicators may be provided simultaneously.
Preferably, said first visual indicator should be a solidly on LED and said second visual indicator should be a blinking LED.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a program storage device readable by a processor, tangibly embodying a program of instructions, executable by said processor to perform a method for operating a communication unit on a default channel selectable from a plurality of communication channels as described above.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a communication unit operable in a plurality of communication channels. Said communication unit includes a channel selector, a transceiver and a memory operatively coupled to a processor. Said processor executes program instructions in said memory to allow communication on a default channel and to further allow temporary communication on a second channel selected by said channel selector. Said processor further monitors communication activity on said selected second channel and reverts automatically to said default channel when communication activity is undetected for a predetermined time period.